Entry requirementsThe MA in European Business, Culture and Languages attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities. Applicants are welcomed from a variety of academic disciplines, as well as those in work and seeking continuing professional development. Admission is normally open to those with a good undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent) or other professional qualification relevant to one of the key areas of study, or an appropriate linguistic background. Applications will also be considered from those who seek to formalise their prior experiential learning or qualifications and who have appropriate language competence. All applicants should send a sample of recent academic writing in English (approx. 1000 words), together with the application form. If English is not your first language, you will need to provide certification of your English language proficiency. For this course you will need an IELTS score of at least 7, or equivalent.
Academic titleMA / PGDip / PGCert European Business, Culture and Languages
Course description MA / PGDip / PGCert
The European Union represents the development of ever closer economic, political and social interdependence while at the same time respecting a wide range of differing linguistic, cultural, economic and political traditions. Although companies value language skills in their workforce, they are increasingly aware of the need for culturally sensitive communication even when using English as the lingua franca.
This course is designed to equip students to enter a professional environment in the European Union, whether that be in a company, a business-support organisation or an institution. Our applicants normally have no previous qualifications in business but have usually studied a non-business subject or languages, and wish to develop greater understanding of the business dimension along with a deeper awareness of the role of culture and communication in organisations.
The whole course is in English, using case material from the English-speaking world, primarily the UK. Students on this programme can, should they wish, also register for one undergraduate foreign language module credit offered at Brookes as part of their tuition fees.
Course content
The course is offered at three levels: as a master's degree (MA), a postgraduate diploma (PGDip) and as a postgraduate certificate (PGCert).
The PGCert is awarded on successful completion of three compulsory units (one unit out of P61002 and P61004 plus P61003 and P61006).
The PGDip is awarded on successful completion of five compulsory units (units P61002, P61003, P61004, P61005 and P61006).
The MA is awarded on successful completion of five compulsory modules (units P61002, P61003, P61004, P61005 and P61006) plus either P61007 OR P61008.
Semester 1
P61002 Inter-cultural Communication
* An exploration of the diversity and complexity of culture and how it affects communication (verbal and non-verbal) between cultures.
* An examination of the impact of cultural differences on organisations.
* An exploration of ways of analysing cultural differences from various perspectives.
* A study of regional and corporate culture and their relationship and interplay.
P61003 Principles of International Business
* An introduction to the principles and concepts of business and management, including the inter-relatedness of the functional areas of organisations and strategic decision-making in the national and international context.
P61004 EU Institutions and Policies
* A study of the structure of the European Union: its objectives, policies and constraints.
* An exploration of the economic and business environment in Europe and its impact on member states.
P61006 International Management
* An introduction to the theory and concepts of international management.
* An introduction to the conceptual approaches employed by organisations in the decision-making processes associated with undertaking business in international competitive environments.
Semester 2
P61005 The Content of Business Research
* A study of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies with the opportunity to practise a range of techniques, enabling students to become critical users of research findings as well as competent researchers.
* An exploration of the research methods required for extended self-managed projects of a cross-national nature.
P61007 Work Placement and Business Research Project
* For full-time students: minimum 12-week period of work-shadowing experience in a company where the target language is the key to communication.
* For part-time students (or when students’ circumstances are exceptional): same criteria but over a period of 24 weeks.
* Students currently in employment may apply to have this employment recognised as equivalent to the work placement.
* PLUS a study (10-12,000 words) related to the work placement.
OR
P61008 Dissertation
*
An extended study (12 -15,000 words) of a topic with an international business dimension.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Learning methods include lectures, directed reading, workshops, seminars, and practical and project work.
Teaching is organised on a module-credit basis, each module involving approximately 200 hours of student effort, normally delivered through a weekly two- to three hour teaching block over a 12-week period.
Each module is assessed separately, generally on the quality of a combination of written or oral presentation work. Assessment methods may include essays, seminar papers, formal written examinations, case study reports, and individual or group presentations.